Nb2O5 synthesis and characterization by Pechini method to the application as electron transport material in a solar device

Abstract Renewable energy methodologies are the key to a sustainable future. PV technology has been raised as one of the most promisor alternatives for energy conversion, due to the use of an inexhaustible source. The third generation of solar devices, present in composition a semiconductor oxide, that work as electron transport material (ETL), receiving and transporting the electron from a photosensitive molecule. TiO2 performs with efficiency the role of ETL in solar devices, nevertheless, since of the higher cost, other oxides have been studied, as Nb2O5. This work aims to synthetized Nb2O5 by Pechini methodology and applied it as ETL in a solar device. The techniques performed in particle characterization were Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To verify the capability of transport electrons, the electrochemical measurements were applied to Voc/Jsc decay, j-V curves, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Intensity Modulate Photovoltage Spectroscopy (IMVS). The results showed Nb2O5 synthesized in orthorhombic phase able to produce a photosensitive dye-solar device with j = 4.18 mA cm−2, V = 825 mV, FF = 0.4, PCE = 1.38% with slow recombination rate when compare to TiO2 dye-solar cell. The IMVS and EIS technique present the same accuracy to electron lifetime determination which is confirmed by the t-test performed.